Virulent
by perpetually
Summary: "When there's no more room in hell, the dead shall walk the earth." Friends with benefits. But caught in an apocalypse.
1. Chapter 1

**Note: **This is partially inspired by _The Walking Dead_, _The Last of Us_ and every other terrific portrayal of an apocalypse across all mediums, but the facts are not necessarily based off of those scripts or other typical zombie depictions. Forgive me if there are any inaccuracies or objections to the way I've written it. It is just fiction and merely my imagination.

Often the innate traits of human beings come to life in the light of the desperation for survival. But there can also be goodness as well. Exploring the nature of human relationships and the human condition has always been very interesting to me. Enjoy the ride, lovely people.

P.S I highly recommend listening to the theme music because it sets a tone of voice and might also help paint a mood for the story, its characters and the readers.

**Readers: **Viewer discretion is advised. The story is rated M.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Twilight._ It is owned by Stephenie Meyer, and not part of my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only. This is a fictional story about fictional representations of real people.

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**Theme: **_The Cranberries - Zombie_

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**Virulent**

**Chapter 1  
**

"Oh yeah," she moaned. "Fuck, just like that."

The man on top of her slammed into her while holding onto the rails of the bed frame, moving like a bull. She arched her back, leaning into his kiss. He stared at the woman writhing beneath him. She was gorgeous. Their two bodies moved like one, accompanied by the taste of passionate sweat that danced in the air.

He groaned. "Bella, yes."

His name was Edward Cullen. A twenty-eight year-old professor from the University of Washington. He taught philosophy. Many said that he was too young, but the man was perceptive and sharp, having always been the youngest in his classes due to him constantly skipping grades. So indeed, he _was_ quite young to be a professor.

The woman who was writhing on the bed underneath Edward was Bella Swan. She was a psychologist who knew first-handed what it felt like to watch her father get shot in the head by a delusional man. At twenty-seven years of age, she was a woman of wisdom and wit. But much like Edward, she never found anyone else with the same emotional intelligence and appeal.

Thus, they both settled on having a marvelous deal. Being friends with benefits. That way, they could both advance delightfully through their careers with their sexual needs being satisfied. Bella had once read a statement of from a sexologist which had stated that orgasms were indeed advantageous to the health of people and boosted people's moods. Thereby, increasing concentration and efficiency whilst doing work. Provided, that the person who they were sexually involved with was not around for that would be too distracting.

Bella Swan grew up in a small town, called Forks in the state of Washington, where her father, Charlie, had served as the head of police there. After placing a woman who had microwaved her own baby into the prison cell, the woman's lover had decided to put a bullet into Charlie's skull for vengeance. Bella was eleven at the time. But after her traumatic recovery, she knew she wanted to become a psychologist and help others in need.

The two figures were wrapped tightly around each other. Their synchronized moans were almost harmonious, along with the creaking of the bed springs that groaned with every thrust Edward made. Bella could only gasp out single syllables. Perhaps, two as a maximum.

"Hard-er. Fast-er." she breathed.

"Lady, you're killing me. I can't go any faster. I'm not a machine." Edward said into the crook of Bella's neck, kissing and nibbling her soft skin. The brief whispers of his kisses sent tingles to Bella's core as she felt herself clench and suddenly release with everything she had left in her body.

"Fuck," he groaned as he came with her. He would never get tired of having sex with Bella. They did it nearly every night, unless one of them was occupied or busy with work and needless to say, both of them could never become bored with each other. They were matched in a magnitude of preferences, including positions... and other things, such as their favorite books and movies.

Yet, they still remained friends with benefits. Some could wonder why two people who had similar interests and could get along so well would not have any more feelings for each other. But perhaps, Bella and Edward had yet to realize that. They were so engrossed with their own careers that they forgot the very concept of romance and relationships.

Edward would always claim that his long hours at the university would turn off any girl who he would date. He dated a handful of women but eventually found that their lack of interest in Plato and Kant was not enjoyable. Bella had her occasional one-night stands when she was in her early adult years, but then she nearly slept with a married man whose wife had traced his phone and yelled at Bella, telling her that her husband had an STD. Whether that was true or not, Bella had felt incredibly stupid at her own gullibility of people's faithfulness and also the mere fact that they could actually not be clean.

After forcing Edward to do a test, along with herself, and both being rather happy with the other person's mannerisms and temperaments, they fell into a suitable contract. A deal.

They would only be each other's sexual partner until one of them opposed such an agreement and the whole deal would be called off.

They were allowed to kiss but definitely not whisper words of endearment. Not that either of them felt like that towards each other.

They were allowed to 'sleep-over' but not spoon or touch each other, unless one of them wanted to do the deed again, in the middle of the night. It worked quite well, but usually Bella would jolt Edward awake by her fists when she'd sleep. He would often move to the couch. So much of a sleep-over.

Finally, they would remain friends above all else.

Edward and Bella had met in a bar, a fortnight ago. He'd thought of her as beautiful but she, being her usual, defensive self, stomped on his foot when he'd approached her outside, after following the brunette beauty leave. She'd thought he was a creep who was lurking in the shadows, waiting for a suitable moment to attack a defenseless woman.

He'd yelled out a string of profanities while she covered her mouth at his expression of pain. With both of them being slightly tipsy from a few drinks, they found each other engaged in a lusty staring contest. Green and brown, with a tang of animalistic desire.

It only took a taxi ride before they arrived at Edward's apartment and stripped each other naked. It only took a couple of days to settle on the deal. They also agreed to alternate between each other's apartments, going from Bella's to Edward's on every other encounter. They became good friends, often mimicking each other and telling the other person whenever someone was ogling them in public.

They also had their own signals, where if one of them was getting unwanted advances, the other would come in, pretending to be the other's partner. For two intelligent individuals, they were never willing to explore anything beyond that. Beyond that acting.

After Edward walked into the ensuite bathroom to dispose of the condom in the bin, he splashed some water onto his face. Returning back to Bella's bed, the television that was hanging on the wall opposite the bed was switched on, with Bella reclining on a pillow and watching the screen. It was currently at a commercial break. Edward laughed at how intrigued Bella looked at the commercial for Walmart. Her button nose was scrunched up and her almond-shaped eyes, round and big.

A soft purring came from behind the closed door of Bella's bedroom, marking the presence of Bella's kitten. Lucas was his name and he was a black, Ragdoll cat. Midnight fur and glowing blue eyes. After Bella had told Edward about her cat, asking if he was allergic and with him stating that he was not, Edward had fell in love with the adorable kitten.

However, they realized that the kitten liked watching them have sex. It unnerved both of them and so a habit to close the door every time they did _it_ was ensured.

He went over to the bed and kissed her, all over her jaw. She moaned, linking her hands around Edward's neck.

"You better be on top, this time," he said. "You've worn the stallion out."

"Okay, professor," Bella said as she straddled him. The television screen went black and switched back to the news deck.

Bella's moans filled the evening atmosphere as Edward sucked on her nipples, whilst rubbing her clit, eliciting a wanton moan from his lady friend. He groaned as she ran her fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp. They were so preoccupied that they paid no attention to the words of the anchorman. The two figures on the bed were in a world of their own, completely.

"There have been a few sightings. Many have stated that it is _indeed _not Halloween just yet," the news anchor said, staring at the camera with a look of disbelief. "We are still unsure what these '_creatures_' are but we will keep you informed as officials are still searching for answers to this rising mystery."

Bella and Edward did not hear a word.

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**Love, perpetually.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: **Here's another chapter. I hope everyone is happy and well.

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**Virulent**

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**Chapter 2**

"Cognitive behavioral therapy is a good way to start, Maggie," Bella said, staring at her notebook. "If it doesn't work or if you have any doubts, then we'll try something else. Is that okay?"

The young woman, sitting on Bella's couch, had trembling knees as she looked at Bella and nodded her head once. She was a shy woman, in her early twenties, with brassy, blond hair and hazel eyes. Bella could feel the anxiety radiating from the woman. She reminded Bella of herself once.

After writing some notes in her book, Bella smiled at Maggie and offered her a chance to talk. Maggie talked about how her week had been and the feeling of someone constantly watching her. Bella asked how why she felt like that and what she did to protect herself. They talked on for more.

Their session was soon over in an hour. After walking the young woman out of her office, Bella sat back in her chair, swiveling. She had another patient in half an hour. She figured she'd grab a bite now.

Two blocks from where Bella worked, Edward was giving a lecture about Cartesian Dualism. The college students sat bored, staring at their professor ranting animatedly about a passionate topic of his. Edward even had René Descartes' famous quote, 'Cogito ergo sum', tattooed over his ribs. It translated to 'I think, therefore I am', or better yet, some liked to think of it as 'I am thinking, therefore I exist'.

"You're the biggest geek," Bella would say, every time they'd get in bed. Edward would just laugh and tickle her, effectively shushing her.

"I'm going to backtrack a little bit. We learnt last time, what mental states were. Cognitive, conative and affective. Cognitive includes experiences and understanding, whereas conative consists of choices and desires. Correspondingly, affective mental states and events are sensations and emotions." Edward went on, writing on the board.

"Now, cognitive states correlate to the world. They are molded around the things that happen in the world. Conative states can be perceived as a method of changing and altering the world." Edward said, looking down as he spoke. "When we are passive, it means we are in an affective state. The average human being would possess all of these attributes of mental states."

"I want you to thoroughly read '_Mediations on First Philosophy_'. Descartes establishes how doubting things can provide the foundation for pure knowledge with extreme authenticity. He then further questions what _matter_ is. He says that he can doubt whether he has a body or not.

"But Descartes says that he cannot doubt whether he has a mind or not. Whether his mind exists. His body is not his mind. Descartes then concludes that there are two types in the world. Firstly, there are the material things by which his body is made up of that. Secondly, there is the spiritual aspect by which his mind is made up of. Therefore, Descartes is a dualist as he believes that the mind and body are entities that exist separately."

Edward looked up at his class again after his long explanation. Many people were yawning. He noticed Joe Lee sitting in the front row doodling flowers on his page. His girlfriend, Patricia, sitting on his left was staring at the flowers in amazement. She should have been listening to Edward's words in amazement.

He shook his head slightly as he dismissed the class, telling them that their three-thousand word essay for next week was due, unless anyone had any misadventures by which they may need an extended deadline. People mumbled 'thanks' on their way out, leaving their professor alone in the lecture theater.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out and read Bella's text.

_Cheer up, professor. Philosophy isn't easy for all of us. Lunch still on?_

He never understood how Bella could guess what he was feeling and text words of comfort to him. Perhaps some psychologists were able to mind-read as well. Maybe that was how the good ones could understand the troubles of their patient so well. Edward laughed at himself, holding his briefcase and walking out. He switched off the lights and went to have lunch with Bella.

_Lunch is on, Swan_. Bella's phone buzzed with a new text.

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"How was your day?" he asked her, pulling out her chair for her. They were at an Italian place. She wanted spaghetti. He didn't mind all that much.

"It was good, I guess," she said, immediately ordering. He knew that she ran on quite a tough schedule. She was one of the finest psychologists in the city. She knew exactly what people meant when they spoke to her and she had a keen interest in helping all those around her. He was glad he could call her a good friend.

"Students seem so bored nowadays," Edward mumbled to himself. Bella laughed, leaning over and patting him on the shoulder.

"It's okay, prof. I'm sure there's a few eager girls who you just don't notice, always vying for your attention." Bella said, digging into her food as it arrived. The steam hadn't even vanished yet. Either she was hungry or she didn't have much time. He settled on the latter.

Thinking back to Bella's words, Edward _did _notice a few girls at the back of the class who would giggle and watch him. He had no idea what they were giggling about but then he realized, he didn't want to know anyway.

"You look like a hungry lion," he commented, chuckling at the spaghetti sauce that was now gathering around her mouth. She rolled her eyes at him, not really taking him seriously. Bella had the strangest food choices. She'd eat cereal for dinner and sometimes lasagne for breakfast. Edward could never figure her out. But then he tried it. He found that it wasn't all too bad.

Both of them were busy individuals, apart from their day jobs, they were also two people who wanted to write their own books. They thrived on research and knowledge. Constant learning and gathering of facts and information. Edward loved spending time at the university and Bella occasionally visited the psychology department at UDub as well. However, she could always hear her mother's opposition to her endlessly chasing her career and studying things that would never get her a husband.

"Bella, I want grandchildren soon," Bella's mother, Renee, had complained during one of their occasional phone calls.

Renee now lived with her boyfriend, Phil, in Jacksonville, Florida. Bella and Renee's relationship was strained for most of Bella's teenage years, following her father's death. But during Bella's college years, they slowly patched things up again. Bella became more understanding and Renee became more patient.

Edward on the other hand, was fascinated about everything in the world. Even walking down the street with Bella, he would be able to find himself lost in someone else's words, given that he and Bella weren't already in a conversation together. With his handsome, boyish looks, many people were willing to start talking to Edward. Sometimes, Bella would find herself walking and still rambling about something, only to realize that Edward had vanished.

"Well, I've got to head back now," Bella said, wiping her mouth clean. Then she wiggled her eyebrows at Edward. "Cullen, your place, tonight?"

Edward gave her a sly grin. "My place, eight o'clock."

They departed with a hug, both heading down the street in opposite directions. Roads that led to different locations in the day. But roads that united them by night. They were good friends. Friends with good benefits. They both liked it and they wanted to keep it that way.

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**Love, perpetually.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Note:** I think it's clear by now that the pace of this story is much faster than that in _Metamorphosis_ (that other story of mine) which might be a little bit of a slow burn for some but I'm just experimenting with people (although fictional) and their emotions, that's all! Thank you all so much for the nice words and support, it really warms my heart. I'm immensely grateful! Hope y'all have been having a wonderful day.

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**Virulent**

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**Chapter 3**

A week went by with both Bella and Edward buried deep in their own work. They hadn't made an effort to sleep together in a couple of days and both were growing more and more stressed with each passing night. Edward could only relieve himself in the bathroom, usually thinking of Bella's breasts that would bounce up and down as she rode him.

Bella, on the other hand, used her trusty vibrator. Sometimes she'd joke to Edward that it was even better than him. He'd sulk for the rest of the night.

However, both of them didn't pay any attention to the news. Despite Bella hearing Alice, her next door neighbor in her apartment complex, rant about something that had to do with Halloween and monsters, Bella just went back to her own business.

Similarly, Edward was researching about artificial intelligence and talking to other professors in the philosophy faculty. He also paid no attention to the world around him. His parents, Carlisle and Esme, worked at a hospital in Chicago. They would call up Edward sometimes, but usually Edward would end the call first. Sometimes he wished he wouldn't take his parents for granted so much.

Edward was just the geek Bella had described him as. Whenever he was reading, his dark-framed glasses would sit on his nose, shielding his bright, green eyes. Bella and Edward would sporadically text each other, but apart from the lunch that they'd had a while ago, they hadn't been in contact.

It may have been the biggest mistake for the two, as in some parts of the world, people were saying that the dead were coming back to life. At an alarming rate.

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"Tyler, I'm so happy to hear that," Bella said, looking at the man sitting opposite her. Sandy-brown hair and blue eyes marked his features. He was a twenty one year old who was suffering from depression. The bags under his eyes showed his inability to sleep properly at night.

"I've been doing some breathing exercises, as well as meditating," Tyler said, looking down at his hands.

"And how is that working out for you?" asked Bella.

"It's working out quite well," Tyler said, looking up at the psychologist sitting in front of him. Apart from the fact that he heard all sorts of thing about Bella Swan and her occupation as a psychologist, he also found her quite attractive. He looked forward to their sessions every week as the pretty brunette never judged him for what he thought or what he did.

"Should we push appointments to once every two weeks, now that you're feeling much better?" Bella asked gently. Tyler thought for a minute. He probably wouldn't see the lovely brunette all that frequently anymore but in the end, he knew she had patients that were in a worse scenario than him. With her help, he was finding his balance again and recovering steadily. He wanted to look mature and sensible in front of Bella Swan. So he nodded and they booked their next appointment.

Bella looked at her watch and saw that it was nearing half past seven in the evening already. She had had a long day and she could already feel the tension in her neck and shoulders. She would need to book an appointment at the masseur soon. Edward usually gave her back rubs but then he would tickle her and they would end up wrestling on the floor. Needless to say, the wrestling would then transition into kissing and hungrily stripping their clothes off, mimicking wild animals. He would then carry her onto the bed and things just went on from there. Glorious things.

_Ping. _She looked at her cell phone, seeing that it was reminder that she needed to go shopping this evening as her fridge was quite, dangerously empty. Despite her small figure, she ate quite a large amount. She had typed up a grocery list the previous night which would definitely save some time for her today.

Stepping out to buy a few boxes of sushi near her office, Bella then devoured her dinner while sitting in her dimly lit office. She read through some of the comments she had made about her patients and wrote some additional ones. She also needed to talk to Dr Michael Newton who was a psychiatrist she worked closely with, regarding patients that would benefit from being on medication. She made a mental note to call him first thing tomorrow morning.

Michael had asked her out a few times, but each time she had turned him down politely. His slight pout had always made her feel terrible, but in the end she didn't want to lead him on when she knew that she couldn't be part of such a commitment. Michael had always made it clear that he wanted a steady girlfriend, and to Bella, she wasn't ready to give that. Whether it was just her own insecurities or her belief that she simply didn't have time to be in such a lovey-dovey relationship, Bella never gave Michael the chance to prove her wrong.

Bella always believed that good relationships meant equal devotion and contribution. She didn't want to be in a relationship with someone who she respected dearly but wasn't able to treat and commit to them wholeheartedly. That was why her deal with Edward worked out so perfectly. No strings attached. Friendship above all else. It was the perfect agreement.

Later in the evening, she walked down to her car and drove to the supermarket that was situated near her apartment. She pulled her motor vehicle, a Volvo c70 convertible, into an empty parking space, before grabbing her purse and walking through the sliding doors. The sound of scanners and announcements filled her ears as she headed straight to the bread section. She picked out a loaf of bread and dumped it into her basket before she went to buy some fresh fruit.

She heard an announcement from the intercom of the supermarket, telling all customers that the store would be closed in half an hour.

It took her less than fifteen minutes to get everything on her list before she was in the line waiting to check-out. As she was thinking about whether she should read '_Wuthering Heights' _or '_The Great Gatsby'_ next, Bella found herself coming to the realization that she forgot to grab milk. She made her own cappuccino every morning for breakfast with her dependable coffee machine. Apart from the morning coffee, Bella loved drinking a glass of milk every night.

Jumping out of the queue, Bella went in search for the milk. As it was near the closing time of the supermarket, she found that as she walked towards the back of the store, it was getting more and more deserted. Boxes of cereal were littered on the floor in one of the aisles. _Strange_, Bella thought. It was as if someone had aggressively shaken the racks and allowed the boxes to tumble onto the floor. Making a big mess.

She went to the cold section where the dairy products sat. Yoghurt, cheese, various dips and milk. She picked up a bottle of milk and checked the expiration date. Placing it in her basket, nearly making her arm drop at the sudden addition of its weight, Bella walked back to the front of the supermarket.

A groaning made Bella stop in her tracks. The voice was near yet far away.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Help..." a feeble voice said. She nearly didn't hear it. _Shit_, she thought_, where is this person..._

As she tried to trace the direction of where the faint voice had come from, she found herself peering through the cracks of the racks in the supermarket, trying to see if anyone was behind it, searching with desperation. She was all about efficiency. Good organization and smart planning. This person literally sounded like they were gurgling with blood and dying.

She finally saw a woman lying on the ground with a neck wound. A puddle of blood gathered on the smooth floor of the supermarket as the woman struggled for breath.

"Help," she gasped. "Help me, please."

"It's okay, I'm going to get you help."

Bella looked around, it was completely vacant of people. Should she yell out for help and wait for someone to come? Or should she call the ambulance? Perhaps she could run to the front of the supermarket and make people follow her back to where the injured woman was.

The woman's curly, red hair was tangled around her face as a sheen of sweet coated her smooth skin. Her grey eyes were screaming with terror as she looked at Bella. Except, she wasn't looking at Bella.

She was looking behind Bella.

Bella could hear a deep, growling sound next to her ear. As if it was panting right behind her. She turned around slowly. She felt her heart stop. Her eyes widened like two saucers.

It was _definitely_ not Halloween yet.

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**P.S Inspirational artworks for stories (located on Pinterest) are linked on profile for any curious souls.**

**Love, perpetually.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Note:** Without further ado...

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**Virulent**

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**Chapter 4**

Bella screamed. Loud, shrill and blood-curdling.

Even the woman next to Bella, who was bleeding to death, stared at her in horror. She would've screamed too. If she could. But her throat could hardly make anymore noises as it was.

The creature staggered backwards as it stared at the human being in front of it. To Bella, staring at such a thing was like a nightmare coming true. She pinched herself, willing herself to wake up.

_I'm not in a supermarket, I'm at home_, she demanded internally.

The creature was nothing she had seen before. It looked like a skeleton. One that could walk and apparently injure people. Was this what Alice had been talking about? Was this what the whole world was interested in? For the first time, Bella wished she'd paid more attention to the news and what was going on around her.

_Damn, if I had researched more on this, maybe I would know how to defend myself_, Bella thought.

The skeleton still resembled that of a human being. She could see the scarce pieces of hair that hung around the top of its skull and the shadows of gruesome decay that lined its face. If she wasn't feeling so threatened like she was about to die, Bella would've found such a creature to be intriguing and even kind of cool.

She did visual arts in high school. Having gone through a phase where she only wore black clothing and black eyeliner, Bella could definitely find inspiration out of this sickeningly interesting creature. But sadly, she was no longer in a phase where she liked heavy metal and all things gothic and maybe a dash of some Edgar Allan Poe. Now, she was a young adult who was forced to be Alice's mannequin.

Alice Brandon was Bella's good friend, and next door neighbor. Establishing her own clothing line, Alice would always remark on how stylish her clothes would look on Bella. Bella couldn't find it in herself to complain about the amount of clothes Alice would make her try on. Of course, she'd give Bella those clothes as a gift for being such a reliable friend. But that didn't stop Bella from whimpering every time Alice would gasp with a new idea. A new idea meant that Bella would be the first one to know about it by dealing with it first-hand.

Alice's imagination and ideas were impeccable. But Bella knew nothing of fashion, usually offering lame suggestions and opinions. Even though Alice was someone who was easily enamored by all things dainty and beautiful, the girl could definitely hike. Bella wasn't much of a hiker which meant that she had to turn down every single one of Alice's invitations to go hiking on the weekends, contritely of course. If there was one thing Alice Brandon didn't like, it would be camping. But the occasional six mile hike kept Alice in shape. She liked it for that reason alone.

The demonic skeleton was now making an attempt to cover its ears, if it even had any. She could see the ribs of the creature and the blood marks that covered its body, if one could even call it a body. It was more like a pile of standing bones, but nonetheless, it looked like something that had risen straight out of a graphic, horror novel.

Bella continued to scream. The woman on the ground even started to cover her ears, wondering when this would all end. When the woman had been attacked, she was paralyzed on the spot. She made no noise. Instead, she tried to push away the bloody creature. Now she stupidly realized she should've screamed. After all, the creature seemed to double forward in pain at the sound of Bella's high-pitched voice.

The red-haired woman always believed that strange, zombie-like creatures, such as the one standing in front of her, would be attracted to loud noises. So that was why she hadn't dared to make any. Now she concluded that, perhaps all those television shows and survival novels she had read were all wrong. They couldn't have been accurate, surely. It was all fiction. She wanted to hit her forehead. She wanted this to be another story, novel, or movie. She wasn't prepared for the realness of it all.

_I mean, some people even say that vampires sparkle_, the woman thought to herself, _not that I've seen a vampire before_.

The creature's slightly golden eyes flickered between the two human beings in front of it. Its eyes seem to express pain at the amount of noise Bella was making. It felt like Bella had screamed for a full minute before the rest of the customers at the local supermarket decided to drop their baskets and run to the source of the panicked scream.

"What the fuck," a gruff voice said. "I thought the news was bullshitting."

"Oh my-" an elderly woman said. Many around her did a double take, wondering how she traveled so fast with the rest of the able-bodied crowd.

"How did you walk here..." a man said, his forefinger on his chin. The elderly woman gave him a deadly glare.

Bella vaguely heard the manager come out and shriek in horror before dialing the police.

"Do something!" a young girl said, tugging on the sleeve of her father's shirt.

At this point the creature was walking backwards, accidentally hitting the shelf behind it and making numerous items drop onto the ground. But the creature was far from dead. The scream had merely scared it. Such a creature could not be killed by noises. It probably just didn't like loud noises. But Bella couldn't scream forever. Her vocal chords were strumming their hardest, the vibrations would cease soon. This creature, however, could definitely live forever, unless someone decided to kill it.

The gruff man who had arrived and spoken first, tackled the creature and hit its skull. Blood splattered onto the floor but the creature was fighting back with all its might. Bella's screaming stopped and it seemed to get stronger.

"As annoying as your scream is, keep screaming, woman!" the man yelled as he fought with the creature. Bella opened her mouth again.

"Someone, go get a knife," the man yelled. People seemed to be confused with his command. _A knife_, a woman thought, _where on earth do you get a knife?_

"For heaven's sake, it's the supermarket. They sell pans and pots. Even bad make-up. Go grab a knife or something," the elderly woman said, as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

"I have a Swiss Army Knife," another man offered, digging into his pocket. It was the man with the horrified daughter by his side.

"I don't think you can stab that skeleton to death with such a small, pathetic knife," someone, from the back of the gathering group of people, said.

Suddenly, the growling noise from the creature ceased as the man who was fighting it seemed to have strangled it. It gurgled a strange liquid from its mouth as it stopped moving. The burly man jumped back and instinctively wiped his hands on his trousers.

"Show's over, folks," the man said. He looked unfazed by what would be an utterly traumatizing experience for many. But Bella could see a slight tint of uncertainty behind the man's eyes. No one had ever seen such a creature. At least in real life.

Silence settled over the group, as people started to participate in their own private conversations. Murmurs filled the vast supermarket before the sounds of sirens were heard. The police was here, offering some relief to many of the customers.

The burly man stood up and Bella could see him clearly now. He had dark brown hair and blue eyes. His frame stood at six and a quarter feet. He was a large guy.

"Thanks," Bella breathed out, feeling her voice becoming very dry from all that screaming.

"We've got to get her to a hospital," the man, who had just defeated a terrifying creature with his bare hands, stated. He was staring at the woman who was still gurgling on the ground with blood.

"Will she turn... into one of them?" someone asked, worriedly.

Nobody had an answer to that. As far as half the customers were concerned, the last thing that the news anchors had stated was that officials were still trying to find out the details of those creatures. But it seemed like those creatures were advancing faster than anticipated. They were getting closer and closer...

"Bella Swan. What's your name?" Bella said to the man who was now checking the bleeding woman's wounds.

"Emmett McCarty," he said. "And I'm sorry about what I said earlier. Your screaming was superb."

Bella smiled weakly. The world had just become a little bit weirder. She assessed the creature that was sprawled on the ground, in front of her.

She couldn't stop staring at the dead, undead thing.

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**Love, perpetually.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Note:** Thank you for sticking with me and this crazy story!

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**Virulent**

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**Chapter 5**

"What?" Edward said.

Bella nodded at Edward's shocked face. His jaw was touching the ground. His eyes were wide open. If Bella wasn't so scared about what had happened in the previous few days, she would've laughed at Edward's comical expression. She'd recounted the whole story to a stunned Edward.

After her encounter with the terrifying creature, she decided to make a conscious effort to stay in populated areas. In other words, she wanted to be part of the crowd. She never thought she'd hear herself saying that as she was often walking _against_ the ideals of society but this time, she felt that safety would come in numbers. And she needed those numbers.

After thanking Emmett profusely for what he had done, she'd departed from the local supermarket after leaving a few statements to the police. She'd driven straight home where she locked the door and checked behind every curtain, nook and cranny. She'd secured every single window in her apartment and even called Alice to tell her what had happened.

Alice did the same thing. But because Alice also had a boyfriend, she'd phoned him and told him to stay with her as she was rather frightened. Jasper Whitlock was the name of the twenty six year old boyfriend of Alice's. With shaggy blond hair and twinkling blue eyes, his southern accent made him even more attractive. He worked as an accountant with his beloved girlfriend. Bella thought the two to be exceptionally cute.

"I need to meet this McCarty guy," Edward said, still in a daze. Bella nodded, her thoughts wandering to what had happened that night in the supermarket.

"It couldn't have just been that single guy," Bella said, deep in thought. By 'guy', she meant the skeletal creature that was about to attack her. "He must have transformed from one thing to another thing. And it's still happening as we talk."

"Well, maybe the creatures are scared of sound or something and can only come out at night. They probably need a bit of time to transform, meaning that if someone becomes infected by a bite or something, they need to be killed immediately, before they transform. That sort of prevention can be the solution. But it'd be hard just to simply kill off a helpless, human being," Edward said. He played his fair share of video games.

"But the supermarket wasn't that quiet. There was noise," Bella said.

"But maybe it was quiet compared to other places in Seattle. They wouldn't come out here, in the middle of the city, amongst the traffic. They might be attacking quieter suburbs and local shops because there aren't a lot of people around and people get petrified when they see scary shit like that. They just lock up," he whispered, suspicion dancing in his eyes.

"Is that your philosophy, professor?" Bella teased.

"Do you have anything better?" Edward retorted. She couldn't believe that they were sitting at a diner, discussing possible theories about zombie-like monsters.

"Maybe it's a virus? Or some fungal pathogen that's causing these mutations?" Bella said. Edward raised his eyebrows, nodding slowly.

"Anyway, how was work?" she asked him, needing a change of topic. They decided to have ramen tonight before heading over to Bella's place. It had been so long since they did anything together.

"Fine," Edward said, thoughts drifting back to the quizzical events of his day. Angela and Jessica, two bright students from his lecture, had walked up to him this morning, twirling their hair. He'd noticed that both of them wore very short skirts and had the top buttons of their shirt undone. It almost looked like they were from that Britney Spears music video.

He remembered asking them if he could help them and the two girls gently touching his arm and saying how lovely his eyes were. Usually during his lectures, Edward would wear his glasses when he'd read off of his notes. But occasionally, they would sit on his desk, untouched. He remembered nodding uncomfortably before telling them that he had somewhere to be. He also remembered shaking off the chills that ran through his body.

"Where did you just go?" Bella asked, staring at Edward. He looked spooked out, more than anything.

"Nowhere," he mumbled. They continued to eat in silence before both driving back to Bella's place.

It honestly didn't matter whether they went to Edward's or Bella's as they lived relatively close to each other. Sometimes, Bella even made the effort to drive to her place to pick up Lucas and bring him over to Edward's. Edward adored animals very much and would always have a litter box ready for Lucas.

Arriving back at her apartment, Bella quickly fed Lucas so that he would be occupied with his food, enabling her to make out with Edward (without a furry spectator). Grabbing Edward by his tie, she pulled him to her, kicking the door shut behind him. He kissed her hungrily as he grabbed her by the waist and held her up, pushing her against the door.

"Bedroom?" he asked. She nodded, curious as to why he would even need to ask.

He placed her gently on the mattress as he took off his shirt. Edward was attractive, anyone could vouch for that. But strangely enough, Bella only saw him as a remarkable, worthy friend. She licked her lips at the sight of his sculpted abdomen.

"You seriously don't go to the gym?" she asked Edward, narrowing her eyes.

"Nope, no time," he said, immediately kissing her again.

"You lie," she whispered dramatically, making him chuckle. He fumbled with her clothes before tearing them off. He licked her left nipple before placing the swollen bud into his mouth and flicking it quickly. Her moan showed all the appreciation he needed. He alternated between her left one and right one before she testily told him to hurry up and take off his pants.

After discarding his boxers, Edward grabbed a condom and slid it on himself. He touched Bella and found that she was wet and impatiently waiting. She smirked at him. He gave her a look.

"I was simply checking," he said.

"Well, you're too slow. I'm already dripping like an ocean. No more foreplay," she stated, matter-of-factly.

He entered her, making her instantly quieten as she closed her mouth and shut her eyes. Her fingernails scratched his back as she held herself close to his body. Her nipples brushed against his as he moved on top of her.

"Yes," she said. It was the only word she was capable of uttering. "Yes."

He continued to thrust before he felt himself unable to take any more of it. He came, throwing his head back and cussing. She moaned, thrashing slightly before she stilled.

_Meow._

They looked at each other before bursting out into laughter. They'd forgotten to close the door and now Lucas stood next to the bed. He was a smart kitten. He didn't stand very close to the bed as that would prevent him from seeing _everything_, due to the height of the mattress.

Instead, he stood at a fair distance that offered him a good view of what was happening. Bella groaned in embarrassment but Edward smiled sympathetically at the kitten.

"Have you talked to a vet about this?" Edward asked. The kitten was oddly interested in everything Edward did. Now that Lucas was in the room, he followed Edward around when he discarded the condom. Perhaps Lucas just wanted Edward. He didn't actually like the sex part. He might've just liked watching Edward do it.

Edward walked back to the bed, placing a kiss on Bella's cheek. She was about to ask if they wanted to go for another round when there was a thump on her front door. There wasn't a distinct knocking that indicated a needy visitor. Just an irregular thumping on the door.

Bella and Edward became still for a moment.

"Are you expecting anyone?" Edward asked. Bella shook her head.

Her patients didn't know where she lived and usually, they'd call her if they had an emergency or if they were in desperate need to talk. Some believed that it would break the barrier of professionalism between psychologists and patients, to know so many personal details about their shrink, but many found that they could talk to Bella as a friend due to her warm nature. Once she'd been called and pulled out of bed in order to stop a man from jumping off of a bridge. Regardless, none of her patients knew where she lived. It couldn't be any of them.

Edward and Bella quickly put on the clothes that they'd been so eager to take off. Bella then walked up to her door. She peered through the peep hole. There was no one there. The thumping continued. Edward walked up behind her. They both seemed to be in a dilemma about whether it was a good idea to open the door or not.

She thought, worriedly. He pondered, quietly.

Bella placed her hand on the doorknob. She opened the door.

* * *

**Have a good week, guys!**

**Love, perpetually.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Note: **A longer chapter for y'all. I'm excited! Thank you once again for reading my stories, it means a lot! Enjoy.

* * *

**Virulent**

* * *

**Chapter 6  
**

She slowly opened the door and peered outside. The door was ajar by just a crack. From what she could see, her floor of the apartment was very quiet. Empty. _It m__ight be someone pranking on me_, she stupidly thought. But she knew that that theory lacked credibility, especially in light of everything that had already happened. Something was eerie. It was too quiet. It felt grim.

"Is anyone there?" Edward whispered from behind Bella. Suddenly, something came over Bella.

"Hey, you're the man here. Why didn't you open the door?" she accused, visibly rattled from the ghostly thumping.

"We don't need to get all gender specific here," Edward grumbled, walking to Bella's kitchen and searching for something to eat.

She peeked to the right of the door frame, seeing Alice's door shut and closed. As she turned her head to the left, she was met with a sight that stopped her heart. For the second time.

Its bony face stared at Bella with its strange golden eyes, resembling somewhat of a human being. This one looked like it was female. There was a reddish tint to its hair. It looked like it was _wet_. Bella's thoughts ran wild; _was it in the shower or something?_

Bella thought for a minute. She wasn't too sure what these creatures were. They definitely looked vaguely human but they still looked monstrous. There was a feral growl coming from the creature, just like the one from the supermarket.

Doing what she did last time, she let out a spine-chilling scream. Edward was immediately by Bella's side.

"What on earth," he managed to get out, staring at the creature in front of them who was now trying to lash out. He quickly slammed the door shut and locked it. Bella was breathing heavily beside him, leaning on the wall for support.

"How... how did it get inside the apartment?" she gasped. Edward started to pace, looking more anxious than ever.

The thumping continued. Clearly, the invader wasn't too terrified by Bella's scream. It seemed undeterred. Its consistent thumping resonated, mirroring the rapid heartbeats of Bella and Edward.

"Shit, what do we do?" Edward said, tugging his hair with perturbation. Suddenly the thumping stopped. Edward and Bella looked at each other.

The thumping then grew louder.

"Oh no," Bella muttered. "There's more than one."

Out of the two human beings currently in the room, who were trying to do their best to cope with the creatures on the other side of the door, it seemed like Bella had more experience than Edward when it came to fighting them. Despite its grotesque appearance, Bella could actually stare straight into its eyes.

A sudden awareness washed over Bella. _No, it couldn't be_, she thought to herself.

That creature outside looked vaguely similar to the dying woman at the supermarket who Bella had attempted to help before she'd opened her mouth and went into a screaming fest. She remembered wanting to leave the supermarket as quickly as possible and not exactly thinking of getting updates on what had happened to the woman with the gushing, neck wound.

"There is no way. She couldn't have transformed into _that_," Bella said, out loud. Edward's confused eyes blinked in a cute way. He had no idea what she was saying.

"Edward, you might be right," Bella heard herself saying. "I think the woman at the supermarket is now that creature outside my door."

After updating herself with the news and every single blogger's website out there, Bella had read all the theories on the zombie-like creatures. The current name given to the odd-looking mutants was 'S_keletals_', but Bella thought it sounded more like a rock band. Many of the theories correlated with what Edward had said, but she didn't think much of the plausibility behind it, until now.

"Well, did you ask Emmett about what had happened to her after that night? You said that he stayed with her," Edward asked.

"No, we didn't get each other's phone numbers or anything. I think people just dispersed after that, probably running into hiding. The police even told me to be quiet about all this. So I only told you and Alice about it. They didn't want the whole nation to go berserk. Just like any natural disaster or pandemic."

Out of nowhere, a scream was heard. It sounded distant; probably a few storeys below Bella's sixth floor.

"Are you serious?" Bella said. "I was hoping just to have sex with you all night and now we have to deal with this."

The screaming got louder, sounding more like a wail.

"Well, maybe she's fending the creatures away with her scream, just like you," Edward remarked.

Bella found herself at a loss for what to do. She could go help whoever was screaming. Or she could just stay where she was and play safe. More screams echoed around them as sirens were heard in the near distance.

"This is getting bigger than I'd thought," Bella says. "This is a nightmare."

Bella quickly switched on the television and flicked to a news channel. A news ticker was at the bottom of the screen, with words rolling past it behind a red header.

_Breaking News: Stay indoors and avoid contact with the infected. Voluntary isolation is highly suggested if individuals have been in contact with Skeletals or believe that they are ill. Further investigations are ongoing to find the nature of this disease. _

Bella then started to click on her remote control, urging the volume to go higher.

"Government officials are advising that people should avoid public areas at all costs. The disease is spreading faster than anticipated. We are joined by Dr Margaret Todd, an epidemiologist, working for CDC. What is going on Margaret?" the news anchor said, turning slightly to look at the woman next to him.

"Hello Martin, we're still undergoing investigations about the disease and its transmission. At this point, we believe that a host can only become infected if direct contact is made with the Skeletal. The cases of incidence have skyrocketed," Margaret said, professionally.

She continued. "Symptoms do not show up until the hours prior to the transformation, making it exceptionally hard to pinpoint who has been infected, especially when people hide the fact that they have been in direct contact with a Skeletal. That is why we are advising that if you have been bitten, please stay away from public areas. For different people, the gap of time prior to the transformation can vary. Some transform within twelve hours. Others might take a few days. Let's just say that some people have better immune systems."

"I can see why people would hide the fact that they're infected," Edward said. "You could get killed on the spot because you'd pose a threat to others."

The news anchor, named Martin, nodded his head as he continued to ask questions. Margaret replied to them swiftly. "We are asking everyone to remain calm as health officials are still pursuing answers for this disease. We believe _Tacitovirus _is the pathogen that is hijacking the cells of the host. Transmission of this disease is somewhat similar to that of rabies, though transmission between humans are often rare in cases of rabies. In this case, viral transmission occurs from the bite of an infected or contact with virus-containing saliva from the Skeletal."

The voices droned on as Bella's head spun. The Skeletal hadn't touched Bella at the supermarket, but she remembered Emmett wiping his hands on his pants after killing the creature. Bella thought; w_as he infected then?_

"- but usually, transmission is from a bite from the infected. Viruses do not contain an abundance of enzymes, which are the biological catalysts needed for specific chemical reactions in lifeforms. Instead, they have one or sometimes two, helping them interpret their genetic instructions. A host cell is important for viruses as that is where they live and reproduce in. It is an understanding between all scientists that viruses are _alive_ because of what happens when a host cell becomes infected," Margaret said.

Margaret took a breath and kept talking. "After an infection from a bite, the virus enters the peripheral nervous system by which it travels towards the central nervous system, via the nerves. It is during this stage that the _Tacitovirus _cannot be detected-"

"Tacito..." Edward spoke. Bella was paying so much attention to the news that she forgot she was still stranded in an apartment with Skeletals scratching and thumping on her door. She even forgot about Edward's presence.

Edward muttered, thoughtfully. "Tacito is the prefix for quiet or silent. That probably explains how the name of the virus was derived."

"- virus reaches the brain, encephalitis can occur and this is when symptoms appear, but usually these symptoms do not last for long as the Skeletal transformation would start to occur at this stage, hence that is why the symptoms are hard to detect. The acute inflammation of the brain causes the symptoms to emerge, which may include headaches, fevers, lethargy, hallucinations and seizures."

Bella stood in front of her television, shocked. She felt like she was about to fall down from the overload of information she just received. None of this was on the internet a couple of days ago. It must have just come out. But by now, the outbreak was getting worse and worse.

"We've never seen anything like this before. It's almost as if it's a biological warfare. A weapon made from aliens, who want to exterminate the human race," Margaret said, attempting to relieve the tension in the air. "In the laboratory, results have come out stating that these creatures may be deterred from sound but they are attracted to light, during nightfall. Currently we believe that these creatures are nocturnal and do not like UV rays, but they are attracted to anything that is lit up at night.

"Moving around in daylight is advised. With growing numbers, it is likely that attacks from Skeletals will be made in larger groups. The infected must be annihilated for the safety of the uninfected. But we do _not _advise the thrill-seekers out there to go Skeletal hunting, even in broad daylight. They may still lash out and infect you; we don't need higher numbers. There's just too much we still don't know yet about their characteristics."

"Can you describe what these creatures look like, Margaret?" Martin asked. A photo of the creature popped up on the screen behind the two talking people, before a magnified version was offered to the viewers at home.

Margaret spoke. "They look very much like skeletons, hence its current name, but they still have features that indicate a biological transformation from human beings. The color of their eyes is an obvious aspect. People are warned that a transformation may be happening if the eyes of an individual starts to look unnaturally golden. As they do very much resemble a corpse, it is likely that they may look very bloody after the transformation, which is when an inexplicable spasm occurs by which you may want to look away."

"Can you tell us more about the nature of the virus, for those viewers at home who may not have excelled in biology?" Martin said. Bella cringed at his attempt of a joke.

"Sure, Martin. The _Tacitovirus _follows the lytic cycle. A virus particle will attach itself to a host cell by which the particle will release its genetic instructions into the host cell with the genetic material recruiting many enzymes from the host's cell. The enzymes are then able to make new virus particles. Then, the new particles assemble into new viruses. The new particles then break free from the host cell."

"So is it safe to conclude that this is a zombie apocalypse?" Martin asked, interlinking his fingers on the desk. Looking as serious as a heart attack.

"Well, officially, we do not regard this as such. Using scientific terms and all the information we've currently got, we are referring to them as 'the infected' but just for the sake of naming them based on their appearance, we're calling them Skeletals for the time being. Many attributes are still unknown. But if individuals out there want to compare what is happening right now to a zombie apocalypse, then they can't be stopped, because quite frankly, it really does feel like one," Margaret responded.

The news anchor thanked Dr Margaret Todd for her time and went on to talk about something light, after having spent such a long time discussing the new virus and Skeletals. The news ticker at the bottom of the screen kept on rolling.

Bella remembered that after the supermarket incident, she'd noticed people looking more panicked. They gossiped more. She wasn't sure if it was because her own ignorance to the issue had been burnt to a crisp or if the rising numbers of Skeletals had also attracted the attention of other civilians.

Apart from Alice, Bella didn't really get along with any other female friends. She knew two girlfriends from college- Tanya and Chelsea- but the only reminder of their friendships was glittery, Christmas cards. After telling Alice what had occurred that fateful night, Bella was sure that Alice told another fifty people at work about everything that had happened.

_The world is in panic_, Bella thought to herself.

"So, I don't think you can go home tonight," Bella said to Edward. He looked reasonably calmed down now.

"Crap, we should've turned out all the lights," Bella said. She realized that darkness engulfed the outside world, except for the occasional, wavering siren lights. Red and blue flickered throughout the night as people were scared and horrified by what they heard on the news. She could hear screaming and the smashing of glass in the next few apartment blocks.

She peered through the peep hole again. She saw nothing, she heard nothing. The thumping had stopped. She hadn't even kept track of what was happening on the other side of the door. But then suddenly, something groaned, as if there was weight pushing on it. Edward and Bella looked at the door.

Suddenly, the door burst open. Bella, having stood so close to the door, was crushed to the floor instantly. The last thing she saw was Edward's appalled face.

She descended into darkness.

* * *

**What does everyone think? Do you think our heroine will make it?  
**

**I sometimes tweet here and there, well I ramble mostly. (Username: loveperpetually)**

******Have a marvelous day as always.**

**Love, perpetually.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Note:** Hope everyone's week has been spiffing.

* * *

**Virulent**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

The grogginess surrounded her. She felt like she could barely open her eyes. She saw blurred figures. She was hallucinating. Perhaps she was dreaming too. She couldn't even remember where she last was.

"How old are you?" Bella's subconscious-self asked her.

"I can't remember," Bella weakly replied. She suddenly felt awake; _am I talking to myself?_

"You're not mad, Bella," her subconsciousness said.

"I think I _have _gone mad," she replied.

"What's the last thing that you remember?" subconscious Bella asked.

Bella's thoughts soared through the murkiness that entrapped her. She remembered watching television. The news. Something about a Margaret talking about a virus. Something about thumping, just like what her head was feeling right now. She tried to think about what she last remembered but she couldn't. She decided to ask her dream-self.

"I don't remember. Do you remember?" Bella asked. She wasn't even sure who she was talking to. _Maybe it's my conscience... conscience, are you there?_

"How can I remember, if you don't remember?" her subconscious-self said, wryly.

"Oh you cheeky bastard-"

But Bella paused. If she were to insult her subconscious-self, that would be like insulting herself. Instead, she groaned. Frustration laughed at her. She couldn't even bad-mouth the voice inside her head. She heard her subconsciousness giggling. Her subconscious-self was mocking her.

_Great, _she thought.

But then she remembered. Well at least some of it. She was with Edward-

"Wait, is Edward okay?" Bella asked. Her subconsciousness didn't respond.

She started to remember the fragments of what had happened. They were listening to something about the _Tacitovirus_ and how it worked. Then she remembered saying something about turning off the lights.

"Is Edward okay?" she asked again, her voice straining with urgency. If what she had remembered was true, then Edward would have probably been eaten alive. She didn't get to see what had happened. But the amount of combined force at her door must have meant that there was a group of Skeletals.

_"With growing numbers, it is likely that attacks from Skeletals will be made in larger groups."_

She could remember Margaret Todd's words.

"Well, time to wake up then, sleepyhead," her subconsciousness said. It sounded like it couldn't care less whether Bella woke up or not. Bella immediately questioned if one's subconsciousness could be like an evil doppelgänger. She smirked, happy to know that her dry sense of humor was still intact.

She found herself being pulled out of the depths of darkness that surrounded her. It was like swimming. She was at the bottom of the ocean. The deep, blue ocean that wrapped around her face, fingers and toes like second skin. She felt herself floating upwards, as if coming up for air. The tension grew lesser and lesser.

She felt herself become lighter and lighter. She was surfacing, coming back to reality. And then finally, her head broke through the smooth calmness of the water.

She awoke.

* * *

The sound of night crackled around her.

"Bella?"

Voices filled her ears, making buzzing noises ring in her head. Her thoughts didn't cease; _am I still dreaming?_ The voice that called out her name sounded very familiar. A deep, velvety voice. Probably that of a male. Bella found herself giggling at how she came to realize the familiarity of the voice. She definitely recognized the male's voice, especially when they were having sex.

"Wait, why is she giggling?" the voice asked, perplexed.

Bella slowly opened her eyes, feeling like she hadn't been awake for centuries. She smiled up at Edward's concerned eyes as he cradled her in his arms. He looked baffled at her expression.

"Who falls into a coma and then wakes up with a smile?" he asked, out loud.

She seemed to be hypnotized by the face above her. She stared at his bright, green eyes as if she was studying an exotic animal. It was as if he had tears in his eyes that he found too painful to shed. His eyes looked glassy. He seemed sad about her. He seemed worried... lost.

She placed her hand on his cheek, touching him gently. He looked beautiful. But at that very moment, she found confusion tugging at her arm like an impatient child. She didn't know who this man was. She couldn't remember very clearly. She tried returning to the fading conversation she had had with her subconsciousness. She was sure she'd remembered his name back then.

His eyes said it all. "Bella, you know who I am, right? The Skeletal attack didn't wipe me from your memory, surely."

"Nah, she's probably just shocked and confused. I mean she's staring up at her knight in shining armor," a man with a southern accent said. She looked at him. Then she saw a woman with dark, black hair and shining eyes nearby.

"Jasper, she looks scared," the woman said. She had short hair and looked extremely well-dressed. Bella made a mental note to herself, _I probably need some fashion advice from her_. She couldn't recognize the people crowded around her. _Damn it_, she thought, _why is nothing coming back?_

But then she stared at Edward for a long time. It felt like more than twenty minutes before she slowly blushed and looked away. Images filled her head as she slowly came back down to earth, bringing pieces of frozen memories with her. She remembered him grunting on top of her as they made the bed springs groan and the bed frame slam against the wall.

She remembered him kissing her. Neck, breasts and legs. She remembered them being tangled up in bed sheets, giggling with popcorn in their mouths.

"Oh that's right," Bella finally said. "You're my friend with benefits."

Edward's eyes bulged out.

The black-haired girl, who Bella now came to the realize as Alice Brandon, laughed and ducked under the arm of the southern-accented man (Bella also recognized him- Jasper). She felt like she wasn't on this planet for a second, as if she couldn't find her bearings anymore. It was like her compass needle had been magnetized, spinning her away from her designated direction. She momentarily forgot everything about everyone. She found herself remembering why she was here in the first place.

"The Skeletals," Bella whispered with fear, still thinking about what had happened after that piece of a door had landed on her. Edward seemed to sense her distress.

"You've been out for over a day now. I called my dad and he told me to calm down and carry you to safety. They're still sorting everything out in Chicago. The hospitals, schools and universities are all now closed until further notice. This is happening in most cities and probably across the world. Oh and of course, I grabbed Lucas as well," Edward said. A furry kitten crawled out from behind Edward, approaching as if he knew he was being summoned. Bella stroked its soft, black fur. His blue eyes twinkled at Bella.

Bella looked back at Edward, waiting for him to continue.

"When the Skeletals smashed through the door, all twenty of them, I practically did what you did. I screamed. Not the high wail of a chipmunk though," Edward chuckled. "But nevertheless, still a pretty, loud scream. A deep, manly growl... I'd describe it as that."

"I thought it was Bella screaming at first," Jasper whispered. Edward shot him a glare that seemed to say 'you're next'.

"And I guess Alice and Jasper must have heard because they ran out with a butcher knife. Well Jasper did," Edward said, recalling the fact that Jasper only had boxers on and Alice still had bed sheets wrapped around her. They had come to his rescue despite their interrupted, sexual situation.

"Jasper and I then smashed all of the creatures," Edward said with a heroic smile. Jasper had an identical expression on his face. "They took a while to get rid off but luckily there wasn't an endless swarm of them like in some ridiculously hard level of a video game. Some of the other neighbors heard and told us that we should move out as the apartment complex was no longer safe, especially with the growing numbers of Skeletals."

Bella nodded. "So how did you get me out from under the door?"

"Jasper and I lifted the door off of you after the creatures were defeated. We then pulled you out. I called my dad and he was worried that you had a brain hemorrhage, so we rushed you to ER after gathering as much stuff as we could into my car. You know, food, supplies, clothes and so on. Luckily at that time, they were still accepting patients. A doctor treated you and that was when you went into a coma state, seeing how you were out for more than six hours.

"Things got worse after that. Jasper, Alice and I stayed around the hospital, not wanting to return to the apartment. We bought food from the supermarkets but at that point, it was basically chaos. People were screaming, there were even Skeletals roaming in there. Luckily we managed to already dump everything from the pantry in Alice's apartment, along with everything in your cupboards," Edward said. "The car is still overflowing with shit. Useful shit, though."

"You two eat surprisingly large amounts for your size," Jasper said.

"We got out of there as quickly as could. When we returned, the hospital was in shambles. The doc who treated you was nowhere in sight so Jasper made the decision to carry you out and take you away. They said that you didn't have any hemorrhage as the door badly bruised your body instead so we were more reassured about... unofficially ejecting you from the hospital." Edward said. "But we'll never know. I mean you still hit your head on the floor and you were out for hours. I'm not sure if you went into shock or if you just shut down temporarily."

Bella blinked at him.

"Other people were doing the same. You know, running away with unconscious patients," he added defensively. "Then, we drove after fueling up. There were a few bodies littered on the floor when we went in to pay at the gas station. Some were still moving while others were still. Turns out the guy behind the counter was lying on the floor with a neck wound as well. Jasper suggested we put them out of their misery but... it was too hard. The guy was pleading for us to save him... I mean, I don't want to be a murderer. I can't just look at someone in the eye and shoot them point-blank. So we decided to leave."

"And now we're here," Jasper said.

"Wait, where are we?" Bella asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest," Edward mumbled, embarrassed.

"So we ducked... into a four million acre forest with not much sound and no people around," Bella deadpanned.

"You can remember facts about a national forest but you couldn't remember me for a second," Edward said with a wounded look.

"Well, Bella, people _were_ going ballistic around us. You should have seen it. Maybe then you could have used your psychology skills to calm people down," Alice said. "There were also roadblocks due to the presence of the military and other government authorities. They brought in the Special forces, clearly establishing how the government didn't want people to move around too much as it would increase the rate of transmission."

"That's why we had to get out. They're trying to lower the stress levels of civilians just like in every single disaster film. But it won't work. Soon, people will start to embrace their innate, animalistic instincts. Maybe some will even perceive all of this as a chance of renewal like a rebirth to an uprising. Men love a window of opportunity to climb up the social ladder. People will take bribes if it means that they can get more food... more power. It won't be Skeletals killing human beings. No, it'll be humans killing humans. The nature of survival will be World War 3. Human beings are just as a part of the community of life as animals. But unlike animals, it'll be technology and violence against the weak and helpless," Edward said, his voice starting to sound very grave. "It'll be natural selection at its finest."

"So what happens now?" Bella asked. A shiver went down her spine. She wasn't sure if it was just chilly or if she felt terribly scared for her life.

Silence followed her question. Edward looked at her with an expressionless face. It was a haunted look. One that showed his submission to the catastrophe around him.

It was defeat. It was protection. It was the primal look of survival.

"Anarchy."

* * *

**Societies are crumbling. Morality will vanish. Ah, humanity. Stay happy and safe.**

**Love, perpetually.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Note: **Thank you for reading. I hope you've all been very well.

* * *

**Virulent**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Society did break down. Quicker than it had been built. There was often a debate about whether human beings were inherently evil or inherently good. Such a debate was often rephrased with the simple question: are human beings born good or evil?

One way to answer such a complex question was to look at babies. That was what many researchers, scientists and philosophers did in fact. Edward Cullen took a keen interest in the complex area many years ago. He read books and asked professors who were more experienced than him about what they thought.

The minds of babies could be easily described as a 'clean slate', and in some sense, having the absolute minimum of any cultural or societal influence. They were not born with the instant recognition of their status. They would not have friends the minute they were born and would not be able to comprehend many things around them, thus weakening their susceptibility for intricate manipulation. It could be debated that it is in the later years when a child begins to grow- emotionally and mentally- that influences begin to accumulate. It'd be a natural process in society as the child would seek information for his or her development, thereby allowing external sources to impact the thoughts of the child immensely. Parents, teachers, friends.

Within these experiments with babies, by trying to conclude whether they were fundamentally good or evil, many results have suggested that even these young human beings have a sense of right and wrong, preferring to follow the good course than the evil. Of course, many still disagreed. But the scholars at Yale University took it upon themselves to discover the answer to this mysterious question.

The experiment was simple.

A puppet show was performed for a baby, with a scene featuring a green hill. Two figures took up the view of the baby, with both shapes attempting to climb the hill. Both struggling and falling down. Struggling and falling down. It repeated. But then the baby would be able to see two demonstrations of the possible actions. One was of a climber helping the other one by pushing the climber up the hill. While the other demonstration showed the climber inhibiting the other climber's progress by pushing that figure down the hill.

The babies were then given a choice to show their preference by pointing to the puppet whose actions they favored more. They were given a choice of helping the climber or hindering the climber. The experiment concluded that babies were more eager to help the climber rather than push the climber down. Perhaps this was only a rough depiction of a complex issue, only scraping the tip of the iceberg, as some scholars refused to accept the weak conclusion to such a simple experiment. However, the question that it did raise was if babies were born _good_, then at what point in their lives did things go wrong?

At what point did corruption, greed and selfishness take over?

At what point did they prefer the evil course to the good?

* * *

It took two weeks before democracy turned into the full-fledged anarchy Edward had predicted. Something Bella had learnt was to not question the insightful words of a philosopher. Well, a philosophy professor. The four figures huddled around a small fire that was lit not by caveman tactics, but rather a modern-day firelighter.

They still needed to light a flame during the night, due to the fact that some nights were indeed very cold. Nevertheless, they acknowledged that it was a risk to take. The light could possibly attract any Skeletals nearby but the prevention of anyone in the group getting sick was prioritized more. Moreover, they were not super-humans. They needed light to be able to see any approaching Skeletals. It was unfortunate that they couldn't see in the pitch darkness of the forest at night. Bella thought it was all very paradoxical. However, it wasn't long before the food was being eaten at a steady pace but the water was getting low.

Two days later, the group unanimously decided to change their location. Edward ended up driving the car closer to Lake Wenatchee where the four people then set up camp. There, they were able to have a reasonably, clean water source, alongside the canned food brought along with them. The map of the national park that Edward had managed to snatch was indeed handy.

They listened as radio stations broadcasted the uprisings in each county, town and city. This occurred before they had traveled to be closer to the lake, making the signal of Alice's companion emergency radio much weaker.

It would've been strange to even think of reasons for someone having an emergency radio, but Alice's frequent hiking meant that she usually carried such things. It used solar power and had a built-in LED torch. It was the perfect hiking tool. Too bad there wasn't any reception in some parts of the forest.

Occasionally, two people out of the 'awesome foursome' would stand nearer to the roads during daytime to get the latest updates via radio. The requirement for two people was to guarantee safety. Usually it'd be Alice and Jasper or Bella and Edward. Both pairs had a few weapons with them for additional protection. It wasn't too much of a hassle despite the fact that it took roughly two or more hours to hike their way out of the bushland.

They considered it to be their daily exercise and a way to maintain their sanity in the midst of all the chaos. It also made up for the times when Bella and Edward were too busy to hit the gym. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that their careers weren't the most important things to them anymore.

_U.S Hwy 2 NW_, it read on the map. By standing near the highway, the signal was better than standing near the lake due to the mountain peaks in the area. After listening to the radio for as long as they could, the two designated messengers would then retreat their footsteps back to camp. Sometimes, by standing near the roads, it made them feel normal again, as if they were taking a toilet break in the middle of their road-trip. It reminded them of their old civilization. The radio ensured that they still touched base with what the rest of the human population was up to.

That was also how they found out that it took merely a fortnight before all hell broke loose.

* * *

"I've heard that isolation can make you go crazy," Jasper said, one night as they sat by the small flame. They huddled closely so that the brightness of the flame would not catch the attention of any possible Skeletals nearby.

If what Dr Margaret Todd had said was correct, it would mean that they needed to be diurnal human beings. They needed to keep that routine going on. Jasper, Alice, Edward and Bella would need to start sleeping in the daytime and stay alert at night to keep their guards up. That was exactly what they'd been experimenting with. It was a rough pattern to get used to but they managed, given that they had paranoia clawing their backs and fear dancing in their eyes.

Four shadows wavered behind the four sitting figures.

"But we're not alone, as long as we have each other, we'll be okay," Edward said, rubbing his hands together.

It was fall, meaning that it wasn't all that hot but also not that cold either. Due to the fact that they were still near Seattle, it definitely didn't mean Los Angeles weather. The sun made an appearance behind a veil of clouds, mostly. The trees in the forest offered no warmth, instead, they just watched the four people attempting to survive.

There was nobody around. Not one of the four people had bumped into anyone or anything- not even a Skeletal. It really felt like an apocalypse then and there. It was like they were the last four people on the planet. But then again, who would've thought running into a dark, national forest to be a good idea when Skeletals were on the loose.

Alice was in charge of counting the days since they had fled into the forest, so that they could keep a track of what the date was.

"We're lucky it's still fall," Edward said. "Soon, it'll be winter and we'd better start thinking of what to do."

"It's Halloween next week," Alice chirped. If this was a regular day, Alice would be dishing out ideas on what costumes to wear. But this year was different. Very different.

"Good to know," Bella muttered. It was cold during the night. She was thankful for the random clothes Edward had brought along in his car when they'd escaped. Edward didn't mention it to her immediately when she had been waking up from her consequential coma after the ordeal at her apartment, but due to the fact that he was over at Bella's and Jasper was over at Alice's, it meant that the men didn't have any additional clothes apart from the ones that they were wearing.

They had grabbed pants and jackets from Walmart, narrowly avoiding a certain Skeletal from biting off Jasper's head. Along with the pants, they had also grabbed two pathetic tents that looked nothing like the product packaging of the item. _Marketing_, Edward had thought with a scowl on his face.

Alice had locked all the doors in the car while she waited anxiously for their return. She was the designated driver, ready to push on the gas pedal if an emergency getaway was needed. This all happened while Bella was unconscious. She really did wish she hadn't missed all of it.

For now, all four friends were quite comfortably warm. The fire most definitely helped. Jasper looked at the stash of food in the trunk of Edward's car. It was diminishing with every passing day.

"What are we going to do when all that runs out?" he asked.

None of the other three people had an answer to his question. They didn't know where else to go. Last time they checked, the nation was descending into a social upheaval. The president had made one last announcement on his podium in front of the famous logo of the White House, before he too had to go into hiding, along with all the senators and politicians. Well, at least that was what they had learnt through the radio.

The world was a disaster. It was bizarre to even think that radio stations still broadcasted what was going on. People were fighting for their lives. Fighting against the Skeletals and fighting for their basic human needs. It was interesting how a month ago, most people were still ignorant to the things that had been happening around them; Bella was guilty of that. The ones that had been shaken by the sightings were told by others to 'get real' and get their heads out of fantasy books and television shows. A month ago, electronic gadgets were used by tech-savvy teenagers who thought they couldn't survive without internet connection for a day.

Now everyone needed food, water and shelter.

Bella recalled learning about the '_Maslow's hierarchy of needs'_ when she had been studying psychology in college. Currently, the human population was climbing down that triangle. The pyramid of basic needs. They were at the top once, in the stage of self-actualisation whereby a lack of prejudice and creativity was rewarded. They were now advancing past the section of self-esteem where people desired the respect of others. That wasn't important anymore.

Humanity had descended back into its primeval form. People sought to be the alpha male. The lion of the pride. The tyrannical ruler. People wanted power and resources. It was life or death.

Thank goodness they were stranded in a forest.

* * *

**So I guess they've kicked into survival mode now. More will be revealed soon. Who knows about their luck...  
**

**Love, perpetually.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Note:** I'm actually getting really scared of Ebola. Anyway, carrying on...

* * *

**Virulent**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

"Someday, we're going to get lost in this forest and we're not going to know how to find our way back," Bella said. She still couldn't believe how fast the world had become eaten up by its own virus. A pandemic. A total disaster of all sorts.

With the two pathetic tents Edward and Jasper managed to get, Alice and Jasper naturally shared one which meant Edward and Bella shared the other one. Due to the fact that the tent really was just for one person, it meant that the sleeping arrangement for Edward and Bella needed to be altered.

The agreement, for no spooning or intimate, couple touching after sexual intercourse, begged to be broken as there was no possible way for two grown adults to sleep in a one-man tent without cuddling each other. Initially, it had been quite an issue as Bella's fists still liked to connect with Edward's face in the middle of the day (now that they became diurnal). He once considered holding both of her hands while they slept. It didn't work either.

Bella never told Edward what had happened to her father. He didn't know that she still had recurring nightmares about that fatal day. She had watched the man sneak up behind Charlie Swan and put an undeserving bullet into his skull. She'd cried for days. Not even Renee could comfort her. Bella had always been closer to her father. She was daddy's little girl. Naturally, with the sudden loss of a paternal figure, Bella found that her world had been irrevocably changed. After going through a rebel phase in her teenage years and then going through a bookworm phase, Bella gradually found her pace in life again. Slow and steady. Helping others with their emotional problems. It became a dream of hers to pursue.

Edward knew Bella had lost her father but she never divulged into the graphical details, simply preferring to keep it to herself. She didn't want to be a burden to other people. She knew she should take her own advice. One that she would give to her patients. It was the reassurance that they were not burdens and each individual was loved. Whether it was by a singular person, a group of people or perhaps the love from a higher deity in accordance to whatever faith the person believed in. But nevertheless, Bella never told Edward about that traumatic aspect of her childhood.

Even though Edward would comfort Bella if she had any nightmares, her sleep-talking was obscured and hard to decipher. It gave him no lead to follow. He simply thought Bella had bad dreams due to her incessant worrying of her patients. Little did he know she was a woman who had once been a fragile girl once, forced to grow up too fast.

But then, after the first few days of sleeping, Edward found that when Bella slept on his chest, listening to his heartbeat, she didn't move an inch. Initially they'd spoon, whilst attempting to keep some space between them because Bella's violent legs loved running in her dreams. But by the time they woke up, they would be tangled together in a disarray of limbs.

Edward and Bella both had king-sized beds in their apartments, creating an incentive for them to act like identical poles of a magnet when they would sleep together. After all, they were not squished together in a cozy tent in the middle of an apocalypse. They'd often wake up at different times as well. Sometimes Edward would start the day later than Bella, so she'd leave first. It always made him pout when his hand fell onto cold sheets. Regardless of them waking up together or not, they would never wake up connected as one hot mess like how they were now.

Naturally, being four campers in the forest, they kept watch at night together; usually alternating between all four of them if daytime watch was needed. With Bella sleeping on Edward's chest, his hand draped over her back as her petite form molded around his tired body. Bella slept quietly and peacefully. The rise and fall of Edward's stomach lulled her to sleep. Sometimes, he'd even rub her back when he'd hear her mumbling something abstruse. Her troubled mumbles would cease and she'd bury her head deeper into his warmth.

It looked like the 'with benefits' part of their friendship had been dropped for the time being. They were now just platonic friends who slept with each other.

Literally.

* * *

"If the food disappears, we can just drink water forever. I mean the lake water can keep us alive," Jasper said at night. "I've read stuff about people managing to stay alive just by drinking water during hunger strikes."

"I'm still waiting for one of us to get sick from the lake water. There can be so many microscopic organisms in it causing waterborne diseases. I hope we boiled the water properly," Alice grumbled.

"Yeah well, I'd rather die from that than transform into one of _those _and end up killing all of my friends before getting shot or something," said Edward.

They knew the basic survival skills of needing to boil the water over the fire, but they would have to ensure that it continued to happen during the day. They boiled enough water for them to last the night. Boiling water at night was basically suicide as the flames would need to be bigger than their current one, effectively posing as an invitation for all Skeletals in the area to unite. They had no idea who could be lurking around in the national forest.

Bella had laughingly suggested lighting up a bonfire at night but also creating a lot of noise to see whether or not the Skeletals would want to stay away from the forest. She believed that the noise would cancel out the appeal of Skeletals going towards the light of the fire. But then Edward had stated that they still didn't know the extent of how noises affected the creatures. They definitely didn't have a loudspeaker or a stereo with them. There was no Plan B unless their car was ready to play some dodgeball.

If the flames became too big and bright, perhaps the simplest screaming and yelling wouldn't even stop them. And how long could they scream for? The Skeletals seemed undeterred by it after a while. They sought light in dark places, just like mosquitoes. One fact was certain though, the abnormal creatures didn't mingle in the Seattle traffic in broad daylight. They could have been nocturnal but perhaps the amount of sound made by the early morning commuters truly was louder than what they could handle. But four people by a bonfire could not possibly make that much noise. Also, that was when the outbreak hadn't reached its optimum peak. The sightings had increased suddenly and out of nowhere, people's symptoms started to materialize. Transformations happened. Things changed. Drastically.

Last time Bella and Edward had checked the radio, the outbreak was ravaging. Killing families and groups of people at a time. People tried to kill their loved ones before they transformed. Many did. But then they'd put the gun in their mouths as well.

By now, Bella was sure that if they were to return to Downtown Seattle, there would be Skeletals wandering everywhere during the night. It was probably a rad party for them. The creatures would have to hide and lurk under dark tunnels and dungeons during the day, but it would be a chaotic nightmare for humans during the night.

With cities destroyed and survival groups fighting to rebel against the government forces, there would be no proper organized attack on the Skeletals. No single, agreeable leader to guide the people through the pandemic. Many radio channels expressed their cynicism at humanity's inability to come to a centralized, united body. Conspiracy theorists believed that this was a way of cleansing the human race by encouraging the collapse of previous values, such as altruism.

"I'm going to open another can of tuna," Alice said. Lucas' ears perked up as if he understood what Alice said. Apart from the tuna, Lucas didn't like anything else.

Despite being a growing kitten, he didn't eat all that much. He seemed to like going on a diet more than Bella did. The black furball didn't like the food that the four humans ate- beans, tomatoes, beetroot, corn and peas. He didn't even like the canned pieces of chicken and bacon. Instead, he'd often go in search for his own food, sometimes even finding his own prey. Bella hated watching Lucas eat a poor mouse or a small bird, but she had nothing better to offer.

Ragdoll cats were perfect apartment pets. They were independent and cuddly. But they weren't exactly designed for the outdoors. Bella was worried about Lucas. He didn't have the best defence mechanisms. Apart from his sharp claws and hissing, which was more adorable than frightening, he was just an impotent bundle of 'well, at least you tried' intimidation.

"Are your parents okay?" Bella asked Edward.

"I'm not sure, last time I checked, they were still in one piece. But now that the phones are dead, I haven't got a clue," he replied. "What about your mom and step-dad?"

Bella had not spoken to Renee since their brief call on how Bella should visit Renee more often. That was at least a few weeks ago. They never went into the topic of current affairs, nor did they bid each other farewell in such a time of distress. Bella had no idea whether Renee and Phil were alive or not.

It was believed that all cities were roughly in the same amount of chaos. Bella had no doubt that whatever was going on in Seattle was also occurring in Jacksonville. Jacksonville was a big city; havoc was guaranteed.

"I don't know," she replied, quietly. "I can only hope for the best."

"We all do." His arms went around her as they sat quietly, immersed in their own thoughts.

The days went on. With every vertical line Alice drew and occasionally a diagonal one in her tally, Bella felt it becoming harder to swallow the lump in her throat. The forest was oddly quiet. Sometimes, the birds would even stop chirping, bringing upon a sinister atmosphere. In the ticking minds of the four individuals, all of them felt their anxiety levels rising.

They couldn't hide forever. Sooner or later, they'd have to come out.

* * *

**I think I might add riddles/jokes to the end of both my stories just because I love cute stuff and things that make me look like a gulping goldfish.**

_**Q. What's the difference between a cat and a comma? A. One has claws at the end of its paws and the other has a pause at the end of a clause.**_

**Take care, lovely people.**

**Love, perpetually.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Note:** I've been drowning in documents and paperwork. But let's continue!

**Music: **_Daughter - Medicine (Sound Remedy Remix) _

* * *

**Virulent**

* * *

**Chapter 10  
**

"What do you think will happen when we get out of this? Will we need to look for a new house or something?" Bella asked, knowing how silly her question was. They were resting in their tents. Edward was on his back with Bella sprawled across his chest. She played with the fabric of his clothing as she waited for his response.

"I don't think anything can be the same again. Not after all this," Edward replied. His hands ran through the tangled locks of Bella's dark brown hair.

Occasionally she'd wear make-up as it made her feel more professional. But now, Bella was barefaced and extremely beautiful. Edward couldn't stop looking at her. Her eyes had never been so bright. Of course, he had seen her without make-up before but usually he'd see her with smudged eye-liner and ruined lipstick after their activities. He liked the natural beauty of the woman next to him.

"Hey," Bella started. There was a shyness to her voice. "Do you want to... do it?"

He smiled at her, amused and surprised at the same time. She was probably blushing at herself for asking such a delirious question during the middle of a real-life survival game. He chuckled as he pressed a kiss to her hair.

"Sure, why not," Edward said.

"Really?" Bella asked with excitement. But then it hit her. They didn't have any condoms. "You didn't happen to grab the box of condoms in my room, did you?"

She peered up at Edward. Hope was running through her veins.

He nodded. "Sure we did, what do you think Jasper and Alice do in their tents all day? We still have plenty left."

"Plenty of condoms but not enough food," Bella stated with a morose tone.

Edward exited the tent to get the box of condoms from the boot of the car, earning a wink from Jasper who was sitting outside. Lucas sat on Jasper's lap, snoozing away. Edward ducked back down into the flap of the tent, only to meet an exquisite sight. Bella had shed off all her clothes.

"Whoa," he breathed. "That was quick."

She pulled him down by the neck, closer and closer. She kissed him. His hands immediately went to her breasts and fondled them. Cupping them. He brushed his thumbs over her erect nipples. He slowly kissed his way down her body, before his tongue entered her. She gasped as he pushed her legs apart but the desire to clamp them tighter around his head coursed through her heated body. His tongue was magic. His lips were heaven. She played with his hair as he played with her body.

She came with sparks behind her eyelids and fire on her skin. He came up to her, kissing her again.

"When can I give you a blowjob?" Bella asked.

"I can never wait to be inside of you, that's why," he whispered, huskily into her ear. "I'd rather come into your core than on your tongue."

It was an acceptable excuse as she couldn't wait for him to be inside of her. He slipped on the latex and gently entered her with both of them groaning. It had definitely been a while since they were this close together. Even though they physically slept with each other, they had been too tired and worried to take off all their clothes and pretend that everything was back to normal.

She moaned. He cursed. They both panted as her breasts bounced slightly at his thrusting. He placed a hand between them, rubbing her frantically. She couldn't hold it in any longer. Letting out a throaty moan, Bella came undone. Like water droplets from a tap. Like ice-cream on a hot, sunny day. He followed with a grunt, placing kisses on her forehead as he tried to catch his own breath.

"That felt really nice," he said. It was wonderful to just forget for a moment. Wonderful to forget where they were and the mess they were currently in. The whole world was in destruction. But that moment of bliss was therapeutic. It was sensational. Simply exhilarating.

"I haven't gotten my period yet, but what's going to happen when I get it? Am I just going to bleed everywhere?" Bella asked, out of the blue.

"Alice already thought of it. There's a few packets buried deep inside the trunk of the car somewhere. Maybe... you'll just have to not change your pad all that often," Edward said, cringing at the thought of bleeding through a vagina. It sounded painful to men. "I think Alice got a few tampons from her bathroom as well."

"Yeah, girls definitely have it tougher than guys," Bella said. "But what if we run out of... you know... condoms?"

Edward chuckled at the adorable expression on her face. She looked worried. He placed his forefinger under her chin and gently sucked on her lips. Kissing them until they were swollen with attention.

"There's always the pull-out method," he finally replied.

"I've always been skeptical of that though," Bella said.

"I'm an experienced man," Edward said, murmuring into her soft hair as his hands roamed her body. "I have every part of you memorized. I think I know when I'm going to come when I'm inside of you."

"You've got me hot and bothered again," Bella huffed.

It didn't take long for round two to happen with a blast.

* * *

"Wanna take a shower?" Edward asked with a smile. They were wrapped up in a blanket of post-coital bliss. Bella nodded as Edward pecked her on the lips before getting up from underneath her.

He jumped out of the tent and told Alice and Jasper, who were now inside their own tent, to not look outside as both he and Bella would be naked by the water.

The national forest was deserted. They thought surely people would've wanted to hide out here, more than within the city walls. But it turned out that there was no one in sight. No sounds of rangers or other human beings in the forest. People probably thought it was safer to retreat to their homes and to populated areas for maximum protection. But that was the center of pandemonium.

The awesome foursome took daily showers, seeing how Lake Wenatchee was so large. But in order to not contaminate the water that they'd drink, they usually used empty containers and poured it over themselves. Washing their clothes was similar. By dumping water on the article of clothing whilst someone else scrubbed at it, they managed to get dirt and sweat off of their clothes.

As a rule of hygiene, they also did their urination and defecation a safe distance away from the water. As for brushing their teeth, Edward and Jasper magically forgot to grab toothbrushes while they took the tubes of toothpaste from the bathrooms of Bella and Alice. Using their fingers as a toothbrush wasn't so bad.

Edward walked Bella out of the tent and held her close. He poured water gently onto her skin, occasionally kissing the water-glazed areas of her body. The water trickled down from her hair to her thighs, calves and feet. She did the same for Edward, but on her tippy-toes.

They held each other close as the rays of sunset caressed their naked skin. It was serenity and happiness.

In some sense, they felt like they were in their own world. They weren't panicked or stressed about their ambitions. They had never spent so much time with each other. Usually, they'd just see each other during breaks or at night for a delightful rendezvous.

Now, they were floating tranquility and relaxed satiation.

Edward wondered about what his students were doing. The lecture theater was large. Classes were big. He didn't know everyone he taught. He wondered if his parents were alright. He wondered about many things while holding Bella to his chest.

Similarly, Bella's thoughts drifted to that of her patients. The woman who saw her husband cheating on her with a girl twenty years his junior. The man who had tried to take his own life with a bottle of pills. The woman who had panic attacks on a weekly basis. And the man who had the unhealthy habit of checking his front door forty times before he could go to bed. She wondered about all of them. Thought about what they were up to now. What they were doing. And how they were coping.

She leaned into Edward's muscular frame. He wasn't built like a bodybuilder. But he was attractive and handsome in a gentle sort of way. She looked up at him. Simply staring. He looked down at her. Simply admiring. For a split moment, both of them felt like they were doing something strange. Something prohibited. The moment felt unusual.

And then it hit them.

It was the equivalent of them showering together at one of their apartments. Even though the rules never suggested they couldn't shower together, it usually consisted of them doing the deed again in various positions against the bathroom walls. But they didn't do any of that this time.

The way he stared at her made her feel tingles go up and down her spine like the dazzling lights on a carnival ride. He licked his lips as he felt himself being magnetized to her swelling heart. He felt his heart race and his hands sweat. He'd never felt this way before.

They were embracing and touching and blossoming.

Like two lovers.

"Sorry," Edward said, quickly pulling away.

She felt cold wind on her skin at the loss of his body warmth. It brought a chill to her body. Her lips quivered slightly as her arms came around her front to cover her torso. He walked away, in search for his clean clothes. She followed suit.

The moment, abandoned.

* * *

**Well, that was cozy. And disappointing.**

_**Q. What did the football coach say to the broken vending machine? A. Give me my quarterback!**_

**Have a great day, y'all!  
**

**Love, perpetually.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Note:** Enjoy! By the way, the song below is rocking my socks off.

**Music: **_Hellberg - This Is Forever (ft. Danyka Nadeau)_

* * *

**Virulent**

* * *

**Chapter 11  
**

As the days went on, it felt like they were on a holiday, more than a desperate attempt at fleeing and surviving in some dense forest. Their days were filled with laughter and soon, the radio was forgotten. Left on the front seat of Edward's car. It was as if all four of them felt that this place was better than the world they had lived in.

It was just like four friends camping. Apart from the fact that all four of them did not know how the rest of their families were doing. That was the worrying part. On some days, they chose to forget about the external chaos but on other days, they remembered. Those were the sad days.

On many occasions, Bella had found Alice with glassy, red eyes, brimming with tears. She'd hugged her friend and sat with her, just chatting.

"Working your psychologist skills on me, huh?" Alice had said with a watery smile.

On some other days, the four of them spoke very little. Food was dangerously low by now. They managed to only eat two meals a day, meaning that no less than two cans were devoured each day. They did drink plenty of water though. Sometimes, they just didn't feel like having any food. But every time they did drink the water, they kept their fingers crossed, hoping that with each gulp of water they weren't going to be sick the next day. They had no medicine. If someone got sick, they'd have to leave as a group and go find help.

Despite the initial pile of food that had taken up most of Edward's trunk, including ice-cream (Edward thought that every piece of digestible food mattered) and pita bread, the pile had shrunk with only five cans left. Three cans were chicken and bacon bites whereas the other two were filled with beans.

They had to think. Fast.

It was well and truly into November now. The temperature was dropping. Bella found herself trying to put on as many articles of clothing as she could. For the most part, she felt reasonably safe and warm. At night, Edward kept her warm. If she wasn't warm enough, they would do what they were both good at. Being friends with benefits or in other words, just having great sex.

They never talked about what had happened during their 'shower' that day. It was like nobody wanted to acknowledge the intense feelings that had passed through them in that moment. It was like they were staring into each other's eyes. Into each other's souls and seeing themselves inextricably woven together. In the present and in the future.

It was as if they realized something. An epiphany. About themselves and about each other.

An awakening.

"Do you reckon there's any fish in the lake?" Alice asked, out of the blue. They were sitting by the water. If one stood behind the four friends who were staring at the picturesque scenery of the mountains and the water view in front of them, one would say that it was simply a normal outing. Probably a photo on a postcard. No one would have expected the words of a 'virus' or 'apocalypse' to come out.

"Well, unless you can catch fish with your bare hands, we would need fishing rods," Edward said. He was a little bit shocked at not having thought of the idea of fish in the lake earlier.

"If there's fish, that means we've been drinking down all sorts of marine faeces," Alice said.

"You couldn't have possibly thought there were no organisms in there," Jasper said to Alice. "We probably ate bits of underwater plants as well. But what can we do? We've heated up the water to the best of our abilities, till it bubbled. Plus, there's crazy-ass zombies on our backs."

"There is fish in there," Bella quietly said. She remembered Charlie's steadfast passion for fishing. Even though they'd lived in Forks, Charlie definitely knew which neighboring forests and national parks allowed fishing.

She was very sure that Lake Wenatchee had fish in it. Most national parks did. She just totally forgot about it in the haste of all that has happened.

"You can catch Carps and Chinook salmon in there," Bella added. Whenever she thought of fishing, her chest would feel like it shattered a little more. The reminder of her father's smile lines and friendly laughter made tears spring into her eyes. Charlie's mustache, which Bella loved to pull on as a child, and his understanding nature made him a terrific father.

"Why didn't you say so earlier, Bella?" Edward accused. There was an edge to his voice. It sounded like he was blaming her for withholding information from the group. The condescending tone of his voice made the tears that were already threatening to fall finally drop onto her cheekbones.

Abruptly, Bella stood up and ran into the tent. She sat there, desperately wiping at her face. She couldn't hold in the contagious sobs that racked her body for a few minutes. She didn't want to put her tears on public display. But it also wasn't like Bella to run away, crying. She was the person to fight it out on the spot. To Bella, disagreements could be easily resolved when left in the open. Not over the duration of a week and numerous sleepless nights. Sleeping with anger and a grudge to uphold was never healthy for anyone.

But this time, it was all different. She was so taken aback by his acerbity. Her brown curls framed her face as she pulled her legs up, placing her head on top of her knees. She took a few deep breaths. She heard something rustling outside the tent before a cautious voice spoke.

"Can I come in?" Edward asked. She grew quiet, her whimpering ceasing. She didn't know what to do. She wasn't sure why she was even crying in the first place. Perhaps, she was being too sensitive. She was probably just overwhelmed with everything. Emotionally and physically. Edward hadn't meant anything injurious with his words; she knew he wasn't like that. Emotions were a funny thing. It simply couldn't be explained at times.

"Okay," she answered. She saw his bronze hair first before meeting his sad, green eyes. She always commented on how they reminded her of emeralds, as cheesy as it sounded. But this time, they weren't the usual bright color. They were apologetic. Dimmer.

"I'm sorry, Bella," he pleadingly said, rushing to her side and holding her close to him. He couldn't stand the distance between them. He brought her onto his lap as his arms held her securely.

He grew to love holding her in the middle of the night. At times, he wasn't even sure what he felt like when it came to Bella Swan. She was his friend. She was beautiful, kind, patient. She was so many things. Electrifying, incredible. She was just his.

Bella sniffled loudly against Edward's chest. He'd never felt so bad in his life. Penitently kissing her hair, he gently hummed.

To Edward, Bella was bubbly and achingly addictive to be around. Her personality was what drew him in. But now, it was like he was seeing someone different for the first time. Like he was recognizing someone important in his mind and body. Someone who was perfect for him. Someone who he never thought he'd have these deep feelings for. Everything felt strange.

The young woman in his arms wept softly. His heart felt like it was breaking with every teardrop that fell onto his jacket. He kissed her cheek, whispering soothing words to her. She lifted her head and looked up at Edward.

"I'm sorry, Bella," he repeated, sincerely. "I didn't mean to sound so rude. We can stay here longer than expected, which is great news."

He ranted on with an adorable expression on his face. She found herself slowly separating from the darkness in her chest. She found herself being helped and lifted. Like weight was being taken off her shoulders.

"I'm pretty sure you can get roundworms from eating undercooked seafood," Bella said. It wouldn't work out in the long run. At some point they'd have to enter civilization again. They'd have to fight their way through the chaos and survive.

He looked down at her, almost lovingly. She saw something different in his eyes. She knew he had always cared for her but the usual look in his eyes were now replaced with something else. He seemed to be conversing through facial expressions. He was scared to ruin the moment by saying things aloud.

"Bella," he breathed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Her name had never sounded so soft on anyone's tongue.

She found herself arching into him. Their lips, less than an inch apart. His eyes flickered from her hazelnut eyes to her soft, pink lips. It was like he was caught in a dilemma. Not sure about what decision he should be making.

He suddenly came to the conclusion that it was a good idea to kiss Bella Swan. He leaned down and pressed his lips firmly against hers. Her hands held onto the collar of his jacket, never wanting to let go. She suddenly felt too warm, too happy. One of her hands climbed up to play with the hair at the nape of his neck.

Their lips moved in unison. A symphony orchestra could have played next to them and they would not have heard a thing.

She was the first one to pull back. She stared at his eyes. They looked tenderly back at her. His hands glided across her cheeks, wiping the dried tear-marks away. There was nothing but affection in his eyes.

"I don't know why it has taken me so long to realize this," Edward muttered to himself, looking downwards. She lifted his chin up, kissing him again. Telling him with her kisses that she had so much bottled-up adoration for him as well.

They kissed and kissed. Butterflies dancing in their stomachs.

Happiness filling their hearts.

* * *

**So I guess we're still waiting for the "I love you" but it certainly is progress! **

**I'm currently on a 'writing spree' and evidently on a high with dramatic plot ideas. I released another story, _Opprobrium_, and hmm I'm not even sure if I should be irritated with myself or not. I will finish everything that I start- that's a definite. We're looking at weekly updates for all three stories? I think I can manage.  
**

**Have a good day, y'all!**

**Love, perpetually. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Note:** Hello, my dearests! Finally, an update. I hope everyone's been having a great November.

**Music: **_Vance Joy - Riptide_

* * *

**Virulent**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

She woke up first, yawning groggily. Today felt different. It was like she had stepped over a barrier.

Crossed a finish line.

Jumped over a hurdle.

She felt like a different person. Then, she realized why. The warm body, partially hidden underneath hers, moved slightly. She lifted her head to see the five o'clock shadow on Edward's face.

She could never understand boys. To think that in a moment of panic and horror, regarding the invasion of Skeletals into the human population, they had had enough time to grab _shaving cream_. After two and a half weeks in the national park, Jasper and Edward had gotten a reasonable amount of facial hair. Both preferring to be cleanly shaven on ordinary days, they decided that it was cool to shave their beards with the knives that they had brought with them.

It often made Bella feel like she was Jane from _Tarzan_. She even wondered if Edward would start swinging from tree to tree soon.

From then on, shaving became a routine. Perhaps, it made them feel normal again. The boys didn't shave every day. Usually it was twice a week or, at most, three times a week.

However, she had to thank them for thinking about Aunt Flo. It was a miracle that they had also grabbed some disposable, menstrual pads and tampons from the shops (when Bella had been knocked out). Unfortunately, in terms of timing, Aunt Flo decided to visit Bella last night, after her make-out session with Edward. It made Bella blush but Edward had simply kissed her flaming cheeks and laughed for a bit.

For Bella to still be getting her period, it signified she was a healthy, functioning woman in the midst of a pandemic. She hadn't seen a Skeletal in over a month, at this point. It was a calming thought. It provided her a sense of false reassurance that they could potentially outlive the outbreak. They could hide forever, in the bushes. Two pairs of lovers now, instead of just one.

Bella tried to imagine living off seafood for the next few months in the unforeseeable future. She wrinkled her nose at the thought.

Turning away from her daydreams, she looked back at Edward. Bella kissed Edward's jaw, resting her palm over his heart as she stared at the sleeping man. She peppered his face with appreciative kisses- from his forehead to his nose and to his chin. He shifted slightly, tightening his hold on Bella.

"Wake up, sleepy-head," Bella whispered.

Edward mumbled unintelligibly. Bella felt her head move as Edward yawned and stretched his body, breathing in deeply. He seemed to remember what had happened yesterday as he stared into Bella's eyes with a delighted look of surprise.

He absently played with Bella's shirt as he thought about what could happen if both of them got out of this alive. Suddenly, his thoughts morphed into something dark. _No_, he thought_, I can't think about a future without her_. Edward couldn't bear the thought of living through Bella dying. Bella transforming. He couldn't even bear the thought of anyone- Jasper, Alice, his parents- transforming into monstrous creatures.

Bella sighed contently. She wanted to hide in the tent forever. Hide with Edward and pretend that there was nothing wrong with their planet. She wanted to bathe in denial and swim in ignorance. She just wanted him.

The two of them.

Alone but together.

In this world.

But she knew that life didn't work in patterns. Life wasn't fair. The world did not revolve around her. It did not revolve around any of them.

She would have to be grateful for the time she spent with Edward, for any moment could be their last.

He seemed to sense her worry as he advised her to not overthink the future and its endless possibilities.

"How are you so calm? Don't all philosophers overthink?" she said. He chuckled, kissing her soft hair.

"Not all," he replied. In the safety of their tent, they were reminded of old times. They were reminded of a time when all they cared about was a blossoming future for their careers and success stories that they may, one day, tell. Now, they couldn't imagine a future without each other.

They would try their hardest to preserve their happy ending. Even if it meant over their dead bodies.

* * *

"We should've remembered to bring a board game with us," Jasper said, one night.

"I don't have any board games though, Jazz," Alice said.

"Yeah but Bella has quite a few," Edward said. "Monopoly, Clue-"

"Don't remind me," grumbled Jasper. "We've got no entertainment."

"We're in the middle of some crazy apocalypse and you want entertainment?" Bella asked, slowly.

Jasper chuckled sheepishly. Jasper's family hailed from Texas, but he had been an orphan since the ripe age of six. He spent most of his childhood adjusting to numerous foster homes. Jasper Whitlock had been the typical bad-boy with the typical, bad reputation. He kissed 'em breathless and left 'em the next morning. But Jasper's agenda took a turn for the better when he met Alice. To put it bluntly, she just wouldn't take any of his bullshit.

"Hey, where's that radio?" Alice asked, looking around her. They hadn't touched that thing in God knows how long.

"Lucas is probably sleeping with it in the car," Bella said.

"He's such an independent kitty," Alice muttered. "We should get a cat too, Jasper."

"Do you think we should update ourselves with what's been happening? It's been a while since any of us have hiked up to the roads to check," Jasper said, talking about the radio. "Hey babe, if you go with me and hike up to the roads, I'll have some time to think about that pussy."

Jasper leaned over, puckering his lips at Alice. He was clearly proud of his joke. She swatted him away and thought, deep and hard.

"I don't think there would be any good news by now. There must be survivor camps being set up though. They might be worth checking out," Alice stated.

Alice had always been a natural leader, but she was one to follow her heart rather than her head. Alice Brandon's parents were divorced after Mrs Brandon caught Mr Brandon in bed with his secretary. The divorce had been a heavy process that took a toll on a nineteen year-old Alice. But it made her a stronger person in the end.

"Isn't it weird that we haven't run into any Skeletals yet? I mean, it's been quite some time and we still haven't seen one since that night that we left," Bella said, looking around the bushes with fear. "Where d'you think they all went?"

"I don't think they _went_ anywhere. They could be hiding nearby. But I think we should be safe for now," Edward piped up. "Or maybe it's just a coincidence that we haven't seen one for so long. Though, it isn't wise to rely on our luck so much."

"You know, we can just stay here," Alice observed. "We can hunt, fish, try to adapt. Maybe we'll become... cave-people. We _can_ outlive this virulent disease. This silly nightmare. We can defeat this whole pandemic."

"I guess we could," Edward murmured. He looked at Bella's worried face, wanting to kiss her again, wanting to push away her distress.

He closed his eyes. The last time she had been in his arms, she was a bundle of love and softness all over. He wanted to hold her and make love to her. All day, everyday. He'd do that if he could. If they weren't stuck in the middle of muted chaos.

Edward noticed Jasper and Alice sharing lovey-dovey glances with each other. They were ready to get it on. Edward shook his head as he quietly laughed to himself. It seemed like they were all healthy, hormonal people despite their unlucky situation.

Edward started to kiss Bella's neck as her giggles filled his ears. Playfully, Bella growled at him as he sucked on her skin, refusing to relent. _She's such a tease_, Edward thought, smiling. They ended up rolling around on the ground. Kissing. Enjoying.

However, they became unaware of the _real_, growling noises from the treeline.

There wasn't just one figure. There were four.

As if it was mirroring the four human beings in an eerie manner. As if it was dangling a key image of their demise, painting a vision of what the four breathing, living friends could easily turn into if they weren't careful enough. As if it was presenting a scene, in mankind's history and mankind's future, of what was about to come next. Of what would happen to their fated course.

The golden eyes of the creatures shone brightly under the night sky.

Like carbon monoxide smoking out of an exhaust pipe, luck was finally running out.

* * *

**Creepy. But hey, glowing, golden eyes are cool!**

**Love, perpetually.**


End file.
